1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable label applying machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a label applying machine which is used for peeling removably positioned labels from a web of backing paper on which the labels are positioned one after the other in series and applying the peeled labels to articles such as commodities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable label applying machines of this type which are commonly used in retail shops, supermarkets and the like, are provided with various label printing and applying mechanisms. The label printing and applying machine is generally composed of a supporting device, a printing head, a feeding device and a peeling device. The supporting device supports a rolled label strip in which a plurality of unprinted labels are carried in sequential or series end-to-end relationship on a web of backing paper. The printing head prints the necessary information on the labels. The feeding device advances the label strip and the peeling device peels printed labels one by one from the web of backing paper and delivers the labels outside the machine body. In the portable label printing and applying machine, the printing, feeding and peeling operations are done manually and the peeled labels are attached to articles by pressing them onto said articles.
This portable label printing and applying machine is used for applying printed labels to commodities usually at a sales counter or an article supporting rack in which commodities are displayed or just prior to the placing the articles on display. A system which is now called POS (point of sales) has recently come into use. In that system bar codes are used to provide information. However, the following problems arise in the printing and applying operation of bar code labels:
(1) Strict accuracy in the widths and spacings of bar code lines are required because the bar codes are read by means of an optical reader. However, the printing head mounted on a portable label printing and applying machine is generally simple in structure so that structural aberration of the printing head is liable to occur. In addition, the application of ink with an inking roller applied to the set up typeface structure for transfer to the label often results in irregular application of ink or application of too much or too little ink. As a result, bar codes are not accurately printed and they are often read incorrectly by an optical reader.
(2) Since the sizes of bar codes are standardized and the elements are larger than those of ordinary characters, the size of bar code printing head becomes larger than that of a printing head for ordinary characters. As a result, the portable label printing and applying machine must be made large in size and weight, which creates handling problems and fatigue in operation.
(3) Check digits are necessary for bar codes. However, the size and structure of the portable label printing and applying machine are limited so that it is difficult to provide the machine with an automatic calculating mechanism. Therefore, the check digits must be calculated separately and be set in the printing head, which is also disadvantageous in practical operation.
Since the portable label printing and applying machines for bar codes had the foregoing problems, the label printing and applying operation was carried out also by printing the labels on the label strip by using a table printing machine. The printed labels were then peeled off one by one by hand and applied to articles. However, this manual applying method reduced the work efficiency and the printed information on labels was often soiled or blurred because the label surfaces were rubbed by the fingers which manually applied the labels.
Accordingly, an apparatus which is capable of performing properly the printing and applying operation of bar code labels in an accurate and efficient manner has not been previously available although the need therefor has been substantial.
Besides the above-described label printing and applying machine, portable label applying machines of another type are widely used, in which the printing function of the former label printing and applying machine is omitted in the latter machines. These label applying machines are used for applying labels which are not printed or have been previously printed by a separate printing machine with indications, for example, for sales promotion such as "Special Sale", "Bargain", "New Sale", "30% Discount" etc. In the label applying machines of this type, the replacing of a label strip is quite troublesome and takes much time. That is, the label replacing must be carried out by first obtaining access to some portion of the run or path of the label strip. The bottom cover of the portable label device is lifted, the label strip is then pulled out and it is detached from the supporting section, a new rolled label strip is then mounted on the supporting section, the label strip is next threaded through the desired path to set the label strip in the machine and the bottom cover is closed.
Where such label replacement has become a problem, the solution to the problem was the use of a plurality of label applying machines set with several kinds of labels. This is quite uneconomical.
Accordingly, it has also been desired to provide an improved label applying machine in which label replacement can easily and quickly be performed and which machines can be produced at low cost.
Related efforts to resolve the above-noted problems of the prior art are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 354,060, filed Mar. 2, 1982 and Ser. No. 368,732, filed Apr. 15, 1982.